Genome-wide association studies are coming for human infectious diseases

A genetic contribution to infectious disease in human populations has long been suspected and is now supported by more than 50 years of epidemiological evidence showing, for example, infection rates to be much higher than disease rates. In successful family studies of high-penetrance effects, single gene mutations have been identified that reveal a molecular mechanism leading to increased risk of a specific infectious disease. However, in population-based studies, genetic variants conferring host susceptibility to various infectious diseases have been difficult to uncover. Although mutations such as that in the CCR5 gene, which confers protection against HIV infection, have been reliably discovered, polymorphisms affecting larger proportions of a population have been hard to prove definitively. The recent arrival of the genome-wide association study format, currently being applied to Kawasaki disease, tuberculosis, malaria, HIV, dengue and others, gives us hope that these challenges can finally be met, with implications for population-based treatment and prognosis strategies

“Western Mediterranean” (WM) broad band network: permanent seismic monitoring at the Ibero-Maghrebian region

The “Ibero-Maghrebian” region, a western part of the Eurasia-Africa plate boundary, is a broad deformation area without a well defined plate boundary line, comprising the Southern part of the Iberian Peninsula, the Northwestern part of Africa, the Gulf of Cadiz and the Alboran Sea, with a convergence between Iberia and Africa at some mm/year (Nuvel-1A model, DeMets et al, 1994) in a NNW-SSE direction, and a dif- ferential motion at Alboran Sea area (Buforn et al, 1995). Although seismic activity is characterized by a low to moderate magnitude and shallow depth earthquakes, big events are also well documented, among others: Lisbon earthquake (1755, I0= X), Gulf of Cadiz (1969, Ms= 8.1), or, more recently Bourmedes (2003, Mw= 7.1), some them with an associated tsunami, like Lisbon or Bourmedes earthquakes. An interme- diate seismic activity is also clearly registered from Gulf of Cadiz to mid Alboran Sea (Martin Davila and Pazos, 2003), and very deep earthquakes (h> 650 km) have been registered at Granada basin (1954, M= 7.0). In order to better study the seismic characteristics of this area, from 1996 on, ROA and the University Complutense of Madrid (UCM), with the collaboration of Geo- forschungZentrum of Potsdam (GFZ), have deployed a broad band seismic net with stations located at Southern Spain and Spanish possessions located Northern Africa, mainly surrounding the Alboran Sea, complementing the previously installed ROA SP and LP stations. This net has been named as “Western Mediterranean net” (WM FDSN code). As net was evolving, new Institutes and stations joined WM net, such a way at present is formed by ten stations located at: San Fernando (SFS), Málaga (MALA), Cartagena (CART), and Evora (UEVO, University of Evora, Portugal) at Iberian peninsula, Mahón (MAHO) at Minorca island, three stations at Melilla (MELI), Peñón de Vélez-Gomera (PVLZ), and Ceuta (CEU) at Spanish villages located Northern Africa in South Alboran Sea area, and Averroes (AVE) and Ifrane (IFR) installed at Morocco mainland as a joined effort among ISRABAT (Institut Scientifique, Univer- sité Mohammed V), ROA and UCM. Most stations are collocated with permanent geodetic GPS stations (Gárate et al, 2004). Next future plans include the installation of five stations by U. Evora at Southern Portugal area, a new station at Morocco by ISRABAT, ROA and UCM and also a new station at Oran (Algeria), as a collaboration among Université d’Oran (Algeria), ROA and UCM. All them will be associated to WM net. All WM network stations include Streckeisen STS-2 sensor, a Quanterra or Earth Data digitizer, and a SeiscomP process system (Heinloo, 2004), and all them are available in real time via phone modem or Internet, except PVLZ and CEU, which will be in short. In this work, partly funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (MEC) through the project REN2006-10311-C03-01/02 (RISTE), we will present the present status, the next future plans and some related activities of WM net

Calibrating assessment literacy through benchmarking tasks

© 2019, © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. In calibration tasks students assess exemplar texts using criteria against which their own work will be assessed. Typically, these tasks are used in the context of training for peer assessment. Little research has been conducted on the benefits of calibration tasks, such as benchmarking, as learning opportunities in their own right. This paper examines a dataset from a long-running benchmarking task (∼500 students per semester, for four semesters). We investigate the relationship of benchmarking performance to other student outcomes, including ability to self-assess accurately. We show that students who complete the benchmarking perform better, that there is a relationship between benchmarking performance and self-assessment performance, and that students appreciate the support for learning that benchmarking tasks provide. We discuss implications for teaching and learning flagging the potential of calibration tasks as an under-explored tool

Effect of SiCp multimodal distribution on pitting behavior of Al/SiCp composites prepared by reactive infiltration

The effect of coated-SiCp multimodal-size-distribution on the pitting behavior of Al/SiCp composites was inves- tigated. α-SiC powders (10, 54, 86, and 146 μm) were properly mixed and coated with silica to produce porous preforms with 0.6 volume fraction of the reinforcement with monomodal, bimodal, trimodal, and cuatrimodal size distribution. The preforms were infiltrated with the alloy Al–13 Mg–1.8Si (wt.%) in argon followed by nitrogen at 1100 oC for 60 min. The composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) before and after cyclic polarization measurements in 0.1 M NaCl de-aerated solu- tions. Results show that whereas corrosion and passivation potentials are not influenced with increase in SiCp particle size distribution, favorably, the susceptibility to pitting corrosion decreases. This beneficial effect is ascribed to the smaller area of the alloy matrix exposed to the chloride solution with augment in particle size distribution, substantially when going from monomodal to bimodal SiCp particle size distribution

Effect of bi- and trimodal size distribution on the superficial hardness of Al/SiCp composites prepared by pressureless infiltration

The effect of particle size distribution on the superficial hardness of Al/SiCp composites prepared by pressureless infiltration, as well as on the microhardness and fracture toughness (KIC) of particulate silicon carbide (SiCp) was investigated. Preforms with 0.6 volume fraction of SiC powders (10, 68 and 140 μm) with monomodal, bimodal and trimodal distribution were infiltrated with the alloy Al–15.52 Mg–13.62 Si (wt.%) in argon followed by nitrogen at 1100 °C for 60 min. Results show that density behaves linearly with increase in particle-size-distribution whilst superficial hardness, microhardness and fracture toughness exhibit all a parabolic behavior. Superficial hardness behavior can be explained by the combined effect of work-hardening in the alloy matrix and particle-to-particle impingement. Due to the highly covalent nature of SiC, the parabolic response shown by microhardness and KIC cannot be attributed to a dislocation mechanism as in strain-hardening.The effect of particle size distribution on the superficial hardness of Al/SiCp composites prepared by pressureless infiltration, as well as on the microhardness and fracture toughness (KIC) of particulate silicon carbide (SiCp) was investigated. Preforms with 0.6 volume fraction of SiC powders (10, 68 and 140 μm) with monomodal, bimodal and trimodal distribution were infiltrated with the alloy Al–15.52 Mg–13.62 Si (wt.%) in argon followed by nitrogen at 1100 °C for 60 min. Results show that density behaves linearly with increase in particle-size-distribution whilst superficial hardness, microhardness and fracture toughness exhibit all a parabolic behavior. Superficial hardness behavior can be explained by the combined effect of work-hardening in the alloy matrix and particle-to-particle impingement. Due to the highly covalent nature of SiC, the parabolic response shown by microhardness and KIC cannot be attributed to a dislocation mechanism as in strain-hardening

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Al/Sicp Composites with Multimodal Size Distribution of Reinforcements

Abstract. The effect of particle size distribution and particle size ratio of SiCp in SiCp/SiO2 preforms on the microstructure, microhardness of SiCp reinforcements, modulus of rupture, and superficial hardness of Al/SiCp composites produced by pressureless infiltration has been investigated. SiCp/SiO2 preforms in the form of plates (4cm x 3cm x 0.5cm) have been pressureless infiltrated by the alloy Al-15.52 Mg-13.62 Si (wt. %) at 1100 oC for 60 min under inert atmosphere. SiC powders with average particle size of 10, 68 and 140 μm are mixed with SiO2 powders and preforms of 40 % porosity with unimodal, bimodal and trimodal size distributions are prepared by uniaxial compaction. The bimodal (small: large) and trimodal (small: medium: large) preforms are prepared with different particle size ratios in the following levels: 1:1, 3:1, 1:3, 2:2:2, 3:2:1, 3:1:2. Results from characterization by XRD, SEM and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry show that the typical microstructure of the composites contains the MgAl2O4 (spinel), AlN and MgO phases formed during processing as well as partially reacted silica, SiC, Si and Al. It is found that the density, reinforcement microhardness, modulus of rupture and superficial hardness of the composites increase all with wider particle size distribution. However, whilst the modulus of rupture is mainly affected on going from unimodal and bimodal to trimodal distribution, superficial hardness and microhardness are mostly influenced on going from unimodal to bimodal and trimodal distribution